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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · lash · race · mine · current · saw · wave · pass

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. swing — to play on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. swing — music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com